


The Secrets We Keep

by southsidewrites



Series: Southside Werewolves Anthology [1]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, But mostly angst, F/M, One Shot, Some Fluff, Twilight-esque AU, Werewolves, serpent friendships, southside serpents, the southside serpents are a werewolf pack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-27 16:43:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20410996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/southsidewrites/pseuds/southsidewrites
Summary: The Southside of Riverdale is a natural playground of forests, rivers, cliffs, and lakes.  It’s a picturesque paradise, but it’s a paradise with an ancient secret.  For generations, there have been whispers of giant wolves—wolves too big to be anything but supernatural.  The locals have always told stories, whispers around a campfire about the shapeshifters that kept their people safe from mythical dangers.  No one expected the whispers to be real.Jughead was never one to believe in scary stories.  At least, not until the moment he explodes into a giant, angry furball.





	The Secrets We Keep

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for checking this out! This one-shot will be the first of many in the Southside Werewolves series. Each will be focused on a particular character's story, and all of them will be in the same universe. While this AU is loosely inspired by Twilight, I've taken quite a few liberties.
> 
> Be sure to let me know what you think and if you'd like to see more of Jughead's story!
> 
> Written for the @southsidearchive weekly au prompt on tumblr.

Breathing in the fresh air, Betty Cooper hopped out of her car and onto the long gravel drive in front of the Jones’ house. She grabbed the bag of takeout off the passenger’s seat, locked the door, and looked up at the small, wood-paneled house. The house was tucked back off the road, nearly in the hidden by the shadowy deciduous forest. Fox Forest was one of Betty’s favorite parts of the Southside—the endless expanse of trees was deep, dark, and beautiful. The air felt clearer out there, the sun brighter. It was the perfect escape from the stifling smallness of Riverdale.

Instead of walking toward the house, Betty turned the corner and took the dirt path down to the garage. 

The garage, which was really more of a barn, seemed to be pulsing. Loud alternative rock music blared from the speakers, muffled only slightly from the surrounding trees. Betty rolled her eyes and walked up to the big barn doors to push them open.

“Jughead, I brought lunch!” she called, her voice getting lost in a shrieking guitar solo.

It took a moment before he heard her, the combination of the music and a revving engine drowning out just about everything. When he saw her, though, his eyes lit up and he quickly turned down the music.

“Hey, Betts,” he said, climbing out from under the half-built motorcycle and wiping his greasy hands on his jeans. “Is that Pop’s?”

“It is.” She couldn’t help but smile back, even if she wasn’t sure whether he was more excited to see her or the bag of burgers. “So, can you spare a few minutes for me?”

“Minutes?” Jughead scoffed, giving his hands one more good wipe before gently grabbing her hips. “For you, Betty Cooper, I can spare hours.” Slowly, he pressed his lips into hers, savoring the sweet feeling of her soft lips against his. She leaned into him, and he held her more tightly, desperate for the contact. After a moment, he finally broke away, more than a little breathless. “So, you want to see the bikes first? I made some good progress this week.”

“I’d love to!” She nodded, already walking around him toward the bikes. “They’re looking really good, Jug.”

He grinned proudly, slipping his hands into his pockets as he looked at his handiwork. “You think so? I know they could really use a paint job, and they need a few more parts, but I think they’re close—a few more days, and they’ll be ready to ride.”

Her smile widened, and she wrapped her arm around his waist to kiss him on the cheek. “They look awesome, Jug. I can’t wait!”

Jughead chuckled. “Probably a good thing you’re going to be learning on one of these, Betty. You could total it, and we’d only be out about sixty bucks.”

Betty scoffed. “That’s not true and you know it. Anyway, there’s no way I’m going to total it, especially when I have such a good teacher.”

He felt his face tingle as his cheeks flushed with heat. “So, um, how about those burgers?”

“You got it, Jug.” Betty let go of his waist, heading back to the stack of pallets she had set the takeout bags on.

Jughead could have sworn his heart skipped a beat, and he could still feel the heat from where her arm was wrapped around him. He couldn’t contain his smile as he dipped through the maze of tools and motorcycle parts to join her. Betty had already taken a seat on the lone chair in the garage, so he pulled up a turned-over bucket to sit with her.

“So, anything new and exciting happening in town?” he asked as he unwrapped the first of many burgers to shove in his mouth.

“You’d know if you ever left this garage,” Betty teased, poking him in the cheek with a fry.

“Ha, ha.” He rolled his eyes, snatching the fry and popping it in his mouth. “For real, though—there’s got to be some kind of dumb new gossip with the Lodges or something.”

Betty’s eyebrows rose skeptically. “Since when do you care about dumb new gossip? I thought the infamous Jughead Jones was perfectly happy living in his own little world with nothing but his garage and his typewriter.”

“Maybe, but…” he trailed off, taking a bite of his burger as he thought over his answer. “Things have just been kind of weird out here lately, and—” He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I was just wondering if things have been weird up by you guys, too.”

“Weird?” Betty paused, her burger halfway to her mouth. “What do you mean by weird?”

He sighed, tugging off his beanie to run his hand through his messy hair. “You’re going to think I’m crazy.”

“Crazy?” Betty shook her head, her eyes narrowing with concern. “I’d never think that, Juggie. Tell me what’s going on.”

He took a deep breath, pulling his hat back on before continuing. “Well, it’s mostly my friends—you know, Fangs, Toni, and Sweet Pea?”

“Yeah, what about them? Haven’t they been your friends since you were all toddlers?”

“Yeah, we have,” he said bitterly. “But you’ve noticed how they haven’t been around lately, right?”

She bit her lip, her eyebrows furrowing. “You’re right—I guess I just assumed you weren’t spending as much time with them. I didn’t want to ask about it.”

“I haven’t been spending as much time with them, but not on purpose. The past few weeks, they’ve just been—” He cut off. “They’ve been different. Like, they’ve been hanging out with Malachai and Joaquin, which is also super weird since those two don’t hang out in the first place.” He stood up abruptly, starting to pace the narrow aisles between the stacks of mechanical parts. “And they haven’t said a damn thing to me about it. One minute, we were all friends, and the next, nothing! They’re just gone—too busy hanging out with Malachai to so much as text me.”

Betty had set down her burger, her lips pressed tightly shut. “That is weird, Jughead. And nothing changed to cause that? Like, you didn’t have a fight or something?”

“I think I’d know if we had a fight, Betty!” he snapped. Almost immediately, his face softened, and he rushed back to his seat to take Betty’s hand. “Shit, I’m sorry, Betts. You’re just trying to help, and I’m being an ass.”

She smiled softly, squeezing his hand reassuringly. “You’re allowed to be an ass sometimes, Jug. Especially when all your friends are being even bigger asses. Regardless, I still think you’re pretty darn great.”

“Thanks, Betty.” He managed a soft smile and then leaned in to kiss her. “Really, thank you. You don’t know how much you mean to me.”

She smiled back, her eyes bright. “I think I have an idea.” From her purse, her phone started ringing, and she cursed under her breath when she saw who was calling. “Shoot, that’s my mom. I’ve got to go—see you tomorrow?”

“See you tomorrow,” he confirmed. “Maybe by then, the bikes will actually be rideable.”

“If you say so, Juggie.” Grinning, she gave him a quick kiss, pushing the rest of the takeout food toward him. “Try not to spend all day cooped up in here, okay?”

“Your wish is my command.” He bowed dramatically as she headed out of the garage, unable to contain his dorky smile. Absentmindedly, he ate another few fries, looking over the bikes and trying to figure out what to do next. The engines were just about done, but the transmission on Betty’s was still leaking. He was going to have to replace that before letting her anywhere near it. With a sigh, he unwrapped another burger and decided to call it for the night. He would need to ask around to see if anyone had the parts he needed anyway, and most of the decent Southside garages that would cut him a deal would be closed by now.

Quickly, he finished the rest of his burger, grabbing the bag to bring the leftovers up to the house with him. If Jubilee was home, she would eat one, and Jellybean was always down for some fries.

As he started making the short walk to the house, he couldn’t help but let his mind drift back to his friends, or more specifically, his lack of friends. It had been close to two weeks since he’d so much as spoken to Fangs or Toni, and even longer for Sweet Pea. None of them had been in school much, so he couldn’t even catch them there.

_What the hell was going on?_

He didn’t want to admit how much the betrayal stung. Betty was right—they had been friends since they were toddlers, almost inseparable since they all went to kindergarten at Southside Elementary together. And now, they had just up and disappeared. If he didn’t know better, he would think the _had_ done something to piss them off. For the life of him, he couldn’t imagine what it would be, though.

Grumpily, he threw open the door to the house, only to be greeted by a very enthusiastic Hot Dog. He tossed the dog a few fries before heading down the hall to look for his sisters. “Jellybean?” he called. “Jubilee?”

When no one answered, he reached for Jubilee’s door, unsurprised to see it shut. He pulled it open with a groan. “Jubilee, if you’re in there, you—_what the fuck?”_

Jubilee was laying on the bed, most of her clothes scattered on the floor. On top of her, just as naked, was Sweet Pea.

“Sweet Pea, what the _fuck_ are you doing on top of my sister?”

“Jughead, what the hell?” Jubilee shrieked, grabbing at a blanket to pull it on top of her. “Ever heard of knocking, you idiot?”

Sweet Pea seemed to shrink into the bed, doing his best to make it look like he wasn’t essentially naked.

“I was just trying to bring you a burger!” Jughead retorted, tossing the bag aside. His hands were shaking with rage, and he could feel his face going red. “Meanwhile, you’re fucking this asshole!”

“Asshole?” Sweet Pea shot off the bed. Even in nothing but boxers, he was still an imposing figure. Well over six feet tall and built like a tank, Sweet Pea had always been the type of guy that no one wanted on their bad side. Normally, Jughead knew better than to cross him, but at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to rip his head off.

“Yeah, _asshole_,” Jughead repeated, pulling himself up to his full height to go toe to toe with Sweet Pea. “I don’t hear from you for close to a month, and now I find you naked on top of my sister? Sounds like some asshole bullshit to me!” Jughead was nearly shaking now, the rage pulsing through him. Something in him felt different, _wild_. Adrenaline coursed through his body, and he could feel every muscle coiled and ready to snap.

Sweet Pea’s eyes narrowed, and his hands were clenched tightly into fists. “And what are you going to do about it, Jughead? Gonna try and fight me?”

“Maybe I will!” Jughead shouted, lunging toward him.

Sweet Pea sidestepped him easily with a harsh laugh. “Sure you will, bud.”

“Stop it, you two!” Jubilee snapped. She had managed to pull on some clothes and was doing her best to force her way between the two angry teens. “Cut this shit out, now!”

“Stay out of this, Jubilee,” Sweet Pea muttered, his voice coming out in a near-growl. “I mean it.”

Jubilee’s eyes widened, and then a look of recognition flashed across her eyes. She nodded almost imperceptibly at Sweet Pea before taking a large step back toward her closet. Jughead didn’t have time to consider how out of character that was, though. Instead, he shoved Sweet Pea.

Sweet Pea was taken aback for a moment, and then he grabbed Jughead by the front of the shirt. “Not in here, moron.” He pushed him out of the room and out of the house, holding him upright by the front of his shirt. Jughead cursed the whole way, struggling fruitlessly to get out of Sweet Pea’s grasp.

The front door slammed open, and Sweet Pea tossed Jughead out onto the grass. “Let’s do it out here, big guy,” he taunted. “You wanna fight—show me what you’re made of.”

Jughead scrambled to his feet, his fists raised. “I will, you asshole!” With a shout, Jughead charged Sweet Pea, grabbing him around the waist and throwing him to the ground. They hit the ground with a thud, and Jughead thrust his elbow into Sweet Pea’s ribs with a shout. “Fucking bastard—ignore me for weeks while you’re screwing my sister.” 

Sweet Pea reacted instinctively, flipping Jughead over and throwing one good punch into his nose. His fist hit with a crunch, and blood started pouring from Jughead’s nose. Behind him, Jubilee shouted something, but her words were lost in Jughead’s slew of curses. Sweet Pea pulled back his fist to aim another punch, but before he could land it, Jughead started shaking.

His body was nearly vibrating beneath the taller boy, his curses becoming slurred and growly. His face burned bright red, and the next sound that came out of his mouth was almost entirely a growl. Sweet Pea flew off him, taking off at a jog toward the porch where Jubilee was waiting, her phone clenched in hand.

“Should I call Malachai?” she asked, unable to rip her eyes away from her brother. He was almost screaming now, frantically grabbing at his body as he convulsed.

“Definitely,” Sweet Pea confirmed, stepping in front of her like a human shield.

Jughead’s head was ringing, and everything was blurry. His vision had gone black and white, and every muscle in his body was screaming. There was a blinding flash of light, and then, silence.

He pulled himself to his feet, quickly realizing that something was wrong. He was standing on his hands and feet, or more accurately, his paws. His vision has sharpened, and he could swear that he could hear and smell everything for close to a mile. Then, he saw Jubilee and Sweet Pea.

The couple was inching toward him, Sweet Pea holding Jubilee firmly behind him. “Jughead,” he said cautiously. “Can you hear me?”

Jughead cocked his head to the side, and then he responded. His voice came out as a bark.

“I guess that’s a yes,” Sweet Pea chuckled, his guard lowering slightly. “Sorry about that, man. I had a feeling you’d be changing soon, and—well—” He ran his hand anxiously through his messy hair. “Well, I figured a punch or two would set you off.”

Jughead growled softly, but before he could consider how impossibly weird that was, there was a voice inside his head, and he had a new absolutely fucking _insane_ thing to deal with.

_Jughead, it’s me—Malachai._

_Malachai? _Jughead didn’t even have to speak, but somehow, his thoughts sounded like words.

_Yeah, Malachai. I’m coming up behind you. Stay calm. I don’t want to hurt you._

_Hurt me? What are you— _ He cut off when he was overcome by a strong, canine scent. Without any prompting, he knew instinctively that it was Malachai. When he turned to see a massive, copper-red wolf standing behind him, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind who it was. _What the hell is going on?_

_You’re a shapeshifter, Jughead. A werewolf. _ The Malachai wolf’s eyes were fixed on his, and somehow, they seemed to be radiating calm. _We all are—you, me, Sweet Pea, others._

_Others? What do—_

_Not now, _he cut him off. _ For now, we need to work on getting you back into human form. Then we’ll get everyone together and answer all your questions._

_How do I shift back to my human form?_ Jughead asked, shifting uncomfortably as he became aware, once again, that he was a massive, supernatural dog.

_Relax, _Malachai instructed. _ Relax, and try to imagine your body shifting back. Feel your legs returning. Imagine your body changing._

Jughead took a few deep breaths and concentrated. With Malachai’s soothing voice in his head, the change somehow managed to feel easy. After a few shaky attempts, he managed to shift back. Crumpling into the grass, he realized he was human again—a naked, cold, and tired human.

Jubilee rushed toward him, covering him with a blanket and pressing a cup of water into his hand. “Drink something, Jughead. Drink something and try to rest for a minute while you recover.”

“How do you—” Jughead cut off in a fit of coughing, unable to complete the question.

“I already told you, kid,” Malachai said, having already shifted back into a human to stand over him. “No questions until we get the pack together. Now, let’s get you dressed and ready to deal with the shock of a lifetime.”

* * *

Sweet Pea drove, as Jughead was too fatigued to do anything more than sit there and sulk. Werewolves—_that_ was the secret. Jughead and his friends turned into massive, supernatural dogs, and no one had bothered to tell him. He slumped into the passenger seat, silently watching as the trees sped by next to the road. Every time he tried to broach the subject with Sweet Pea, he would just cut him off, saying that Malachai would explain everything.

_Fuck Malachai. _ Somehow, this all had to be his fault. He was apparently in charge of the “pack,” and it was him that stole all his friends. As if Jughead hadn’t already hated the guy.

The drive seemed to pass in slow motion. Malachai lived with his girlfriend Cordelia way outside of town in a little cabin that looked like it didn’t even have electricity. Jughead had heard horror stories about his dad, Antonio Martinez. He had always assumed they were of the normal, shitty alcoholic dad variety, but now he wondered if it was something more. Antonio had always been a bit of a pariah on the Southside, and no one was even sure who Malachai’s mother was—only that she had bailed within weeks of her son’s birth.

When Sweet Pea pulled into the dirt drive, Jughead had to refrain from making a snarky comment. Instead, he just slumped out of the car and toward the house. He tried to ignore how much it hurt to see all his friends’ bikes parked there—every single one of them knew but him.

Sweet Pea barely had to knock on the door before a slight, redheaded woman was pulling it open. Jughead recognized her immediately—Cordelia Malcolm, Malachai’s girlfriend. She was a petite woman, and her most distinctive features had always been her face full of freckles and bright red hair. That is, until a few months back when she and Malachai were attacked by a bear while hiking. Cordelia had gotten the worst of it, the bear slashing her across the face and leaving her with half a face of angry, red scars.

As Malachai came to the door, though, wrapping his arm around her waist and pressing the softest of kisses into her cheek, Jughead couldn’t help but wonder if it was really a bear that got her after all.

“You must be Jughead,” she greeted him, her voice soft. She rested a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. “You must be hungry—dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”

“I—um—” he stammered, unsure how to react to the unexpected kindness. “Thank you.”

Sweet Pea laughed, shouldering Jughead into the house. “Cordelia’s the best cook on the Southside—you’re in for a treat.”

When Jughead got inside, his heart seemed to twist inside his chest. Everyone was there—Fangs, Toni, and Sweet Pea. Joaquin was there, too. For a moment, he was excited. But then, his heart dropped. All of them looked so comfortable—Toni was sprawled across the couch, poking Joaquin in the side. Fangs was standing in the kitchen, digging through the fridge and pulling out cans of soda. They all looked perfectly at home, and he had never felt more like an outsider in his life.

“Take a seat, kid,” Malachai said, gesturing to the couch where Toni sat up with a smile. “Let’s try to get this over with before dinner’s done.”

Toni gave him a soft smile as he sat down. “It’s good to see you, Jughead.”

He scoffed. “Yeah, great to see you, too.”

“C’mon, Jughead, chill,” Fangs said. “I know the first change is a mental and physical train wreck, but being an asshole won’t help anything.”

“I dunno,” he snapped. “It’s sure making me feel better right now.”

“Christ, kid, do you have any mode but sarcasm?” Malachai asked, rolling his eyes. “Because that’s going to get old quick.”

Jughead crossed his arms over his chest, giving the older man a hard look. “You know what else gets old? All your fucking friends disappearing without so much as a word about why.”

Malachai just chuckled, his brown eyes flashing with anger. “Look, kid, what would you have done if they told you? Would you have believed it, or would you just think they’re fucking with you?” He scoffed. “And then, you might just go and tell that cute little Northsider girlfriend of yours, ‘cause you know, it’s just so damn ridiculous, and you’d just have to tell _someone_. And that’s not something we can allow.”

“Not something we can _allow_?” Jughead spat. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

“I think I’m the alpha of this pack,” Malachai said, fighting to keep his voice level. “I think I’m the one responsible for keeping all of your dumb asses from exposing yourselves or getting yourselves killed.”

“C’mon, Jughead,” Fangs said, giving Jughead an uncharacteristically firm look. “He’s not the enemy here. Malachai’s been here for all of us, helped us make it through the change and learn to control it. You can’t do this alone, man.”

“Christ, so you’re all brainwashed?” Jughead shook his head, looking between his friends. Toni was avoiding eye contact, and Sweet Pea just looked annoyed. Fangs was still giving him that irritatingly sympathetic look.

“We’re not brainwashed, Jughead.” Everyone looked up with a start when they heard Joaquin’s voice. The older teen had been silent thus far, watching the conversation instead of partaking. His voice was lower than Jughead expected, and firmer too. “It’s for the good of the pack. If people found out about us—” He cut off. “People _can’t_ find out about us. We’d all be in danger, and we wouldn’t be able to protect anyone?”

Ignoring the part about protecting people, Jughead snapped back angrily. “So, you expect me to keep this a secret? From all my family and friends? That’s just—” He cut off, a realization dawning as he turned his gaze on Sweet Pea. “Wait, then why did Jubilee know? If this is supposed to be some big damn secret, why does my sister know?”

Sweet Pea looked down sheepishly, his face blushing bright red. “You see—”

“Sweet Pea’s already been talked to about that,” Malachai said sharply, glaring at Sweet Pea. “Jubilee is of the Jones, line, though, and there’s still a chance she might change herself. That’s the _only_ reason Sweet Pea got away with it.” He sighed, running his hands through his messy curls. “To the point, though. That’s rule number one—you are forbidden from telling anyone about this. Pack business is kept within the pack, and no one else can know outside this room can know about the change.”

Jughead rolled his eyes, but nodded. “Alright, fine. No one but Sweet Pea and Malachai’s girlfriends because apparently, they’re just so damn special.”

“You keep your fucking mouth shut about Cordelia, Jughead.” Malachai’s voice was deathly quiet, and the whole house seemed to go completely still. Even in the kitchen, Cordelia had stopped moving. If there had been any doubt in Jughead’s mind about what attacked Cordelia, that was gone. “Talk about me all you want—hell, you can even question my decisions. I won’t listen because you’re an insolent little shit, but I’ll let you get away with it. You say another word about Cordelia, though, and you’ll wish—”

“Chai, enough.” Cordelia’s voice cut through the room like a knife, and Malachai went silent immediately. He looked up at her, his brown eyes soft, and nodded.

Shaking his head, Malachai returned his attention to Jughead, his tone cool and collected. “Second rule, this is not a democracy. Pack hierarchy is fixed with me in charge, Joaquin is number two, and Sweet Pea is number three. My word is law, and if I’m not around, move down the line.”

“And he means that literally,” Fangs added, chuckling. “You _can’t_ break official alpha orders, even if you tried. Werewolf magic and all that shit.”

“Oh, good,” Jughead’s tone was biting. “So, it _is_ like a cult, just furrier and more magical.”

Malachai’s fists clenched, then relaxed. It was clearly taking all the self-control he had not to snap again. “Think what you want, but you’re in now, and nothing’s going to change that. Now, last rule, and then we can eat and deal with training you later. Do _not_ interact with the Lodges, in any way, shape, or form. And while you’re at it, you might want to distance yourself from that girlfriend of yours, too.”

Jughead’s eyes narrowed, and his fists clenched. “What the fuck kind of rule is that? What’s wrong with the Lodges? And what does Betty have to do with anything?”

“She’s too close to Veronica,” Malachai answered, “and the Lodges are bad news. For your own sake, stay away until you learn an ounce about fighting and controlling your change.”

“No fucking way.” Jughead shot out of his seat, shaking his head. “I explode into a giant dog, and now you’re trying to tell me how I’m supposed to live my life? That I can’t see my girlfriend or one of her best friends? No thanks. I’m out.” He lifted his hand in an angry wave. “If this is how you run things around here, I don’t want any part of it.” Jughead yanked the door open, and he hurried out before anyone could try to stop him.

Toni got up like she was going to go after him, but Fangs held her back. “Not now, Toni,” he murmured. She sat down with a sigh, her eyes wide with concern.

Malachai just rolled his eyes, waving back as the door slammed shut. “Sure thing, Jones. Whatever you say. See you in a few days.”

“You really think it’ll be that soon?” Joaquin asked, glancing skeptically out the window to where Jughead appeared to be trying to walk back into town. “Kid seemed pretty pissed off.”

“He’ll be back.” Malachai let out a low sigh and leaned back in his chair. “He has no idea how to control the change yet, and that should scare the shit out of him if he has even half a brain. I give it a day, maybe two.”

“I sure hope so,” Joaquin replied, still looking out the window. “He has no idea how dangerous he is.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Be sure to let me know if you enjoyed the fic and which character's you'd like to see more of!


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